Valentine's Day
by amiesuzie
Summary: What do the imprints do when their wolves have to go away on Valentine's Day? What will they do with the most romantic day of the year? 12 years post BD. Includes Emily x Sam, Kim x Jared, Claire x Quil, Rachel x Paul, and Nessie/Renesmee x Jake
1. Emily

I don't know what happened, but I was watching the trailer for Valentine's Day on YouTube and came up with this idea. I'm seriously on a roll.

And again I don't own Twilight, but if I did, I don't know if Leah would have ended up alone or without Sam. I'm just not mean enough, but I do like Sam/Emily – such a conflict. Anyways, here goes…

* * *

EMILY

* * *

Emily watched her husband as he walked around their bedroom, preparing for the day. She laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. Today would be depressing.

Sam and the rest of the pack had to leave for a few days because of pack business. They had found a small coven of vampires hunting near the Makah reservation and needed to eliminate them. They cove had already killed one Makah, which of course devastated Emily. She hated to think of anyone in her native tribe being hurt. However, it also meant her husband would miss the most romantic day of the year with her. Valentine's Day.

Every year this seemed to happen. It did not happen when the pack had first formed, but ever since she and Sam had married it was common. One of the kids was sick. One of the wolves needed help. Sam had to go rescue somebody. It was all the same jazz, and sometimes Emily just got tired of it. This was definitely one of those Valentine's Days.

So, like all of those types of years she would have to watch the kids all alone tomorrow. Guess she would simply have to put her time and effort into making it a fun day for her children. They would enjoy the box of candies and the cute stuffed animals Sam and Emily had purchased for them to celebrate Valentine's Day. Then Joshua would throw up from all the candy he ate even though Emily told him not to.

Sam kissed Emily tenderly on the forehead whispering a tender 'I love you' in her ear before walking out of the bedroom to the kitchen. Emily heard her husband grunt as he dropped a skillet on his foot. She smiled at his attempts to start fixing breakfast. She knew he sometimes felt bad that she had to stay home and watch the kids, keep house, and then mother all the wolves. Even the imprinted ones still came to her for advice albeit less so than before they imprinted.

Then Emily heard a series of quiet flows of swearing following a loud crash. Better go help him before he broke her kitchen so much so that it was unrepairable. Cannot have the kids go hungry because Dad cannot keep it together in the kitchen.

Emily got out of bed and threw her bathrobe on over her nightgown. She walked into the bathroom and over to the walk in closet and slipped on her fuzzy slippers.

"You want some help, Honey?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Nah. I got it." Sam stood at the counter wrinkling his nose up and down. Emily came closer to inspect it and just before she reached him, he sneezed loudly. Emily stood back and giggled at him. Sam grinned down at her before kissing her scars like he always did. If she was in his arms, he kissed her face reminding her how much he loved her. Emily wiggled her way out of his kisses.

"I've got to start breakfast. With the racket you made, I'm surprised those four are not up yet," she scolded her husband.

"I wasn't making them breakfast. I was gonna make you breakfast in bed before I left," he winked at her. "I gotta get going pretty quick, but I thought you might like that."

"Yes. Well, I would've if you could have avoided destroying my kitchen first." She looked around the kitchen at the messy counters – one covered with the remains of egg shells and the drippings from the cracked eggs and another was covered in cereal and a spot of milk.

"Uh huh. Well, maybe this will make it up to you," Sam smiled gently at her before handing her a small box.

"Oh, Sweetheart. You shouldn't have. You should have saved it for something more useful." Emily admonished. She hated it when he spent significant amounts of money on her. She would rather he lavish that kind of attention on their children or put it into their savings for a rainy day.

"Em, I like to show you how much I love you. And kissing you and holding you is not enough for me sometimes. I like to show off for you and this is a way I can do it even when I'm not around," he smiled down as she opened the box and gasped at the beautiful necklace inside. It was a golden heart with four stones set in the middle. The top two were a garnet and then a citrine for her two oldest children, Joshua and Marissa. The bottom two were a pink tourmaline and a sapphire for her two younger children, Ruthie and Noah. Emily looked up at Sam in adoration and smiled widely. He took it from her and put it on her.

"Happy early Valentine's Day," Sam whispered in her ear.

She reached up on her tip toes when she turned around to face him and kissed him sweetly. "Thank you," she whispered just before their lips touched again.

"Ewwwww!!!!!" came three young voices next to them as well as baby's chortle. Marissa was carrying Baby Noah while Joshua held Ruthie's hand. They all their noses wrinkled in disgust.

"Alright, guys, that's enough," Sam told them all firmly as they continued to squeal their disgust. Emily took the baby from his sister's arms and cradled him to her.

"Well, I have to get going now. We should be back in a few days," Sam explained. He gained a great deal of complaints from his three older children while Emily scolded them. She told them Daddy had to do his job and that meant that he had to go away sometimes. Once they had all calmed down, Sam hugged and kissed each of them – even Joshua, who tried to escape the "icky lovey stuff." He then kissed Baby Noah and then his wife before jumping out the front door. He met a couple of the pack members outside, and Emily heard them shift and run off.

She sighed quietly before settling all her children in for some breakfast. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

I was going to make this a simple one-shot, but I've decided to do all the imprints on the day before Valentine's Day and then have the final chapter be there celebration of Valentine's Day without their wolves. So… Have fun!

Please R&R!


	2. Kim

I don't own dear Kim or Twilight. Kim's the sweetheart of the imprints who gets to handle the prankster… Enjoy!

* * *

KIM

* * *

Kim woke up that morning to Jared's heavy snores next to her. She kissed him gently on the forehead before starting to crawl off the bed. Before she could, she felt burning hot arms grab her waist and pull her back. Apparently, he was not nearly as out of it as she had thought. She turned towards her husband and snuggled into his warm arms.

"Where you goin?" he asked, the sleep dripping out of his voice.

"I was gonna go start breakfast," Kim answered quietly.

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes – I do. It's not that often that you are actually home in the mornings."

"Aww, hon…" Jared kissed her tenderly. She always cherished these moments with her husband as though she would wake up from this perfect dream and go back to the life she had before her Jared. "I gotta tell you somethin'."

"Oh?" She leaned her head up from his chest to look at his face.

"Yeah. We, uh, gotta head up north for a little while. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone."

Kim's face dropped at this. "Oh. Okay. No big deal. It's not like we had any plans for tomorrow." She shrugged as much as she could being wrapped in his big strong arms.

"Hey, hey. I did have plans for us. These plans were just a surprise," he explained with a sheepish look.

Kim's face lit up at this. "That's okay. It's the thought that counts."

"But we can do it when I get back. It's not dependent upon it being Valentine's Day." Jared winked at her before pulling her in for another kiss. "I am, however, down with making breakfast, though, Mrs. Thail."

Kim smiled and kissed Jared again. "Then let's hop to it." She hopped out of his now open arms and around the bed.

Jared followed suit and met her at the closet door. He threw some shorts on, and she put on some sweats and a tank top. She grinned shyly at her husband as she dressed and he watched. They had been married for several years now but she still was shy when he watched her. His awed gaze took Kim's breath away. It just blew her away that Jared Thail had chosen _her_. Kim knew he had not been his choice, but she was just so thankful that she had been so utterly blessed with the hot goofball of her high school class. And when he watched her with _that _gaze, she just melted. It was utter perfection.

Once she was dressed, Kim ran a quick brush through her hair to get rid of the bed hair. She then pulled it into a loose pony. Her hair was just long enough to get most of her hair into the holder but some of it was just short enough to escape and hang loose around her face.

Kim found her husband in the kitchen pulling out eggs, bread, syrup – anything that was breakfast related – and even some unnecessary extras.

"What are you doing?" she peeked around the refrigerator door at Jared.

"Uh – getting breakfast stuff out." He grinned brightly at Kim, closing the refrigerator door.

"Why don't you let me do that, and why don't you get the mixer out?" she suggested.

"Kay." Jared did as he was asked and the couple worked in silence for a few minutes while Jared pulled the bacon apart in the skillet. Within a few more minutes, the bacon was popping in the skillet with Jared flipping it every little bit.

"Now what?"

"We oughta start some eggs. Why don't you get the eggs, the flour, salt, pepper, cheese, and the hand mixer out?"

"Sure, Kimber." Again, Jared did as he was asked.

Kim walked over to the bowl Jared was cracking the eggs into. She put in the flour, salt, pepper, and cheese into the eggs.

"Okay. Why don't you mix these? Make sure they look light, fluffy, and whipped." Jared nodded. He loved it when his submissive, sweet little wife took charge. Jared grinned widely at the thought before turning the mixer on.

Kim turned toward her husband when she felt droplets fall on her face and into the pancake batter. She looked around her kitchen and there were little yellowy orange droplets everywhere. Kim turned back toward the island where her husband stood with the mixer in one hand and the other holding the bowl of eggs – or at least what was left of the eggs. His face was covered in flour with a little bit of pepper scattered in there.

He looked at her sheepishly. "I kinda turned it on and this happened."

"What'd you do? Turn it on full blast?" she laughed lightheartedly.

"I guess so."

Kim laughed harder and took a handful of the flour from the container next to the large mixer containing the almost finished pancake batter. She looked down at her hand and then at Jared before tossing it at him.

"Hey!" Jared scowled jokingly. He stuck his hand in the bowl of eggs and flicked his fingers at her.

She jumped back with a laugh. The two threw themselves into the ensuing food fight. They kept fighting back and forth until Jared heard a quiet yawn from the kitchen doorway.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," Kim told the little boy.

"Hi, Momma. Watcha doin?"

"Just messing around with Daddy, Maxie."

"You're all messy, Momma."

"I know." Kim looked around the kitchen. It was splattered with the egg mixture and the pancake batter that had inevitably gotten involved as well as the poofs of flour Kim had used before switching to the batter weapon. She giggled again as she looked around.

"Well, I oughta clean up, huh?" Jared suggested. "You can get Madster up, if ya want."

"Alright." Kim cleaned herself off as best she could before walking into the nursery to get up their young daughter. "Max, why don't you help Dad?"

The boy nodded at his mother and began helping his father. As Kim walked away, she listened to the two tease one another as they worked. Kim found Madison wide awake and grinning from her crib.

This was just how life was supposed to be. And Jared would be gone and back home in the blink of an eye. It would be a short trip, she was sure, and he would be home safe and sound with their family soon. In the meantime, they would enjoy a nice breakfast of bacon and cereal. Kim laughed as she picked Maddie up, set the infant on her hip, and headed back out to join her boys in the kitchen.

* * *

And there's our sweet, Kim. She has some baggage that I tried to get to show up in the story, but I'm not sure if I was successful. She and Jared are continuing to work through it. I might even have to write a story… ; ) Hahaha!

Oh, and I know Thail has been used as Jared's last name before. I wasn't sure who used it first, but if it needs to be changed, please message me and I'd be happy to do so. : )

Oh, and the year is 2018 in case anyone was wondering. : )


	3. Claire

And again I don't own Twilight, but if I did, Nessie and Claire would be the best of friends just like their imprinters. :D Now what about poor Embry's imprint… where in the world is Embry's imprint? It's like where in the world is Carmen San Diego except without the psycho thievery. *shifty eyes*

CLAIRE

Claire sat up in bed blinking the sleep away. She was at home with her family on the Makah Reservation, north of the place she really thought of as home because of a certain man, or rather wolf, who lived there.

Claire had known about the wolf pack for about a year, and Sam had been forced into telling her because of her own perceptive and curious personality. She had started noticing things that were not normal at the Makah Reservation but passed off as quite normal at the Quileute Reservation. When these questions started popping up, her dear Uncle Henry had decided she could now know about the secret kept by the Quileute people. And explained why _her_ Quil was not getting any older and the relationships many of the wolves had with their significant others. Still there were things she knew neither Sam nor Quil would tell her – they simply said it would have to be later.

Today, she would not worry about the fact that she knew there was stuff she did not know about. Quil was coming up to spend a little time with her before having to be gone on a pack trip. He always spent Valentine's Day with her.

When she had been younger, it had been all about having a fun day together and getting a stuffed animal and some candy. In recent years, though, it was about him comforting her because she was all alone on Valentine's Day while her friends had "dates" and they would sit around all day, eat chocolate, and watch pathetic movies like girlfriends. This year, Claire vowed it would be different because she was not going to be alone on Valentine's Day. And in reality, she never had been she quickly realized.

So, she hopped out of bed to make her best friend some of his favorite breakfast foods. Since it was a Saturday, she knew the rest of her family would be sleeping late so she only fixed enough for Quil and herself. Although, if Quil had not been coming, it would have been enough for her entire family. Claire laughed to herself at the thought of her best friend's massive appetite as she moved the sausage around in the skillet.

As she worked on mixing the sourdough biscuits while she of course kept a wary eye on the sausage, Claire thought about her best friend. Up until now, she had only seen him as her best friend. But all of a sudden, she was beginning to _notice_ him. He was drop dead gorgeous. With guys she had never been very perceptive, but when her friends at school started drooling over Quil when he came to pick her up from school, she realized just how handsome he was. Because of this, she was curious why he did not have a girlfriend. She asked him straight up, and Quil had simply told her he was waiting for "Miss Right" to come along. Claire rolled her eyes at the time and thought nothing of it. Now, it worried her. What if he did find the right girl – his imprint? And what if he left her in the dust?

So, this year for Valentine's Day, she wanted her best friend to notice her. She could not stand the thought of losing him. He was too important to her. They were two peas in a pod, and she was not going to lose him – ever. And she would do whatever she could in her power to keep her Quil.

She began mixing up the gravy once the biscuits were in the oven. Within a few minutes, Claire was pulling the biscuits out of the oven with one hand while trying to continue stirring the almost done gravy.

"Here – let me get that, Claire-Bear."

"Oh – thanks, Quil," Claire let go of the spoon and let her giant friend take it from her. She set the tray of biscuits on the metal rack. Claire quickly went back over to the sausage-gravy mixture and stirred it until it was at the proper consistency.

The two worked side by side in silence just enjoying one another's presence.

Quil kept thinking about the upcoming shishkabob with the leeches nearby. How were two packs going to work together to handle the leeches? Would they each take a side or would they work as an integrated, larger pack? Who would be in charge – Jake or Sam? Where would he, Quil, fit into all of this? So many questions, so many issues.

Claire, on the other hand, kept running a conversation she had with Nessie only days before. The two girls went out for coffee as they did quite often and talked about everything. On that specific day, Claire had asked Nessie about her relationship with Jake. Claire knew that Nessie was Jake's imprint, and that their relationship transcended even Nessie's birth through the relationship Jake had with Nessie's mother, Bella. Unlike the other imprints, though, her imprinter had found her as a child rather than a grown woman. This was rather fascinating, and sometimes Claire dreamt that this was true of her and Quil. But it couldn't be – there was no way that the utterly perfect and awesome Quil Ateara could belong to simple and plain Claire Young. No way, no how! Just impossible – it would be comparable with pigs flying.

The two girls had discussed how Jake and Nessie's relationship was furthering its evolution. The couple were way past the best friends/starting to date phase and had progressed into the serious phase. Since Nessie obviously had some experience with a relationship, Claire had asked Nessie how she dealt with falling in love with her much older imprinter.

"Aww, Claire. It was just something that happened," the bronze haired girl had explained.

"Just happened? So, it wasn't just you woke up and you were in love?"

"Nope. I just realized that I began to get butterflies when I knew he was coming, and I just felt so utterly content yet on a higher plain of existence when he was around. Still happens – although, now, it is more of a steady love than first love, ya know?"

"I guess," Claire answered nervously. Hopefully, Ness wouldn't be too perceptive and ask why Claire was asking about she and Jake.

"Why ya asking?"

_Boo – why couldn't she have a normal best friend who wasn't a super aware vampire hybrid?_ Claire asked herself. "No reason. Just curious."

"Liar." Nessie looked skeptically at her older friend. "Why are you _really_ asking? Something going on?"

"Neeeesssssss…" Claire whined. "It's embarrassing." Claire blushed furiously at her last statement.

"Who is he? I want details," the vampire girl demanded. In that moment, Claire was sure her best friend was totally related to Alice Cullen – and not just in name but in biological background. Ack!

"Nobody. Just a boy from, uh, school – yeah school."

"Claire…"

"Okay, okay. It's Quil. I think I'm in love with him, Ness," she confessed quietly.

"Oh Claire," Ness cried excitedly. "That's so awesome."

"Can you give me some advice on it? I want to tell him, but I'm afraid that he might imprint and we'll both get hurt. I don't know what to do. Help!"

"Well, there are some things I can't tell you about, that only Quil can tell you. I can tell you, however, that you should most definitely tell Quil. And if I were you, I'd butter him up first – feed him and while he's in the midst of his meal and in his most vulnerable state, ATTACK!" Nessie screeched and Claire jumped, the other customers glaring at the girls in the corner of the coffee shop.

Claire looked around, embarrassed. This was one of those moments that she knew for sure that her best friend was indeed younger than her. She rolled her eyes noticeably at Nessie who just chuckled and proceeded with their conversation. "So, you're saying I should just flat out tell Quil."

"Yup."

And that was exactly what Claire was going to do. She would fix him this nice breakfast and tell him her darkest secret – the one that could potentially ruin their friendship. This had concerned her greatly at first until Nessie, with help from her aunts as well as the other imprints, that this was absolutely the right decision for her.

"So, um, Quil." Claire continued to work with the eggs.

"Yeah?" He turned away from what he was doing to look at the girl cooking.

"Found Miss Right, yet?" Claire asked lamely. That was not how that was supposed to start.

He hesitated. Quil had not seen this one coming – he thought he had thrown her off this one weeks ago. Apparently not. "Um. Yeah actually, I have."

"Oh." Claire's tone and attitude dropped noticeably, even to human ears.

"Why?"

"Just curious. Had something I wanted to tell you, that's all."

"Yeah? What's that?" Quil's interest suddenly piqued. What was this about? Had she – could she – no way – not possible – or is it?

Claire took the eggs off the burner and turned towards her mammoth best friend. "Quil, um," she stared at her feet and quickly spat out, "IthinkI'minlovewithyou."

Quil stared at her, mouth dropped to the floor and eyes bugging out. "What did you say?" She couldn't have said _that_.

"You're gonna make me say it again. What about super wolf hearing?"

"Even I couldn't catch that – not all powerful ya know." He winked before motioning for her to continue.

Claire blushed again, her face bright red like she had a horrible fever. She then said much slower than before, "I think I'm in love with you."

"You are?" Quil gaped at her, excitement in his eyes.

"I'm sorry – I shouldn't have told you. I don't want to ruin our friendship. I'm sorry." she muttered it all very quickly and apologetically. She turned back to the stove.

"No, no, no, Claire. That's not what I meant," realizing she thought he was disgusted with her. "I am actually really excited because it means I can tell you about the thing that I couldn't tell you about that you knew I wasn't telling you about but never talked about."

"Huh?" Claire questioned, head tilting to the side after she had turned back to her best friend.

"Imprinting, Claire. Imprinting."

"I already know what it is. Nothing new there."

"Nope – nothing new. Just something new to you." Quil took a deep breath before proceeding. "I have to tell you something that will change everything for us. And just so you know, the only reason I didn't tell you sooner was because I wanted you to have a choice."

"Claire, the day I first met you, you were at your Aunt Em's, and I was over for a pack meeting, right?" She nodded her vague remembrance. "Well, that day, you came into the kitchen for some help with your toys, and you came to me because I was closet. In that instance, I knew I had to protect you, be your best friend, be whatever you want me to be, need me to be."

"Imprinting," Claire whispered under her breath. The common words to describe the relationship of a wolf and his imprint. "You imprinted on me that day?" she breathed, barely able to contain it. She had dreamt of being able to keep Quil, but really? This was real?

"Yes." They stood in silence staring at one another again. "I couldn't tell you until you made up your mind that you wanted me – that you loved me. I've waited so long for it, Claire-Bear. I love you so much, too." He grinned brightly at her, the smile that Claire Young was only ever privileged with.

"Oh Quil!" Claire flung herself at him when what he just told her fully sunk in. She got to keep him forever and ever and ever – just like Jake and Nessie and Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, and Paul and Rachel, and Jared and Kim. Life could not be any more perfect.

Quil held her close for a moment until she pulled away to look at his face. "Quil, can we spend tomorrow together?"

"I wish we could, but you remember I said there were some leeches up here. Well, we've gotta take care of them, but your mom offered to take you down to La Push to spend the day with the gals. Whaddya think?"

"Oh," her face visibly dropped. "But I can spend the day with the girls?"

"Yup. Well, I guess that'll have to do as a consolation prize for me."

"Yup. Now can we eat?" Quil's stomach growled to add effect.

"Sure." Claire rolled her eyes and laughed lightly as the two dug into the nearly forgotten food.

Here's Claire-Bear. She's about 14ish in this story. Hope you all enjoy this part…

And on to Rachel!


	4. Rachel

Still don't own Twilight, but if I did, Rachel would've totally shifted in the book just like she does in my story, _Why Me_. But ya know, whatev. :D

* * *

RACHEL

* * *

Rachel moaned as she walked out of the bathroom. The pack had to go check out this coven of leeches – vampires – to the North. And now she definitely could not go. She looked down at the item in her hand – no shifting for awhile. Better go tell Paul.

She moaned again before walking into the bedroom she shared with her husband. He still slept contently after having to run a six hour night patrol. He groaned as he heard his wife creep quietly back into the room. Those wolf ears were such a disadvantage sometimes. Argh.

Paul rolled over toward Rachel as the bed squeaked under her as she pulled the covers back and climbed under them. "Hi babe," he whispered huskily in her ear.

"Hi you," she whispered back. She cuddled into the arm he offered her and proceeded to begin to fall back asleep.

"What time is it?" Paul rubbed his eyes with right hand.

Rachel moaned and the answered, "I dunno."

Paul leaned up on his left elbow to glance at the alarm clock on Rachel's nightstand. "Ugh. We have to get going."

"Noooo," Rachel groaned. She sniffled a little at the thought of Paul leaving – without her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Rachel could get emotional sometimes but mostly when she was PMSing which was only about once a year – and had already happened this year – or when something big was going down. And the bloodsuckas they would be facing would not be big. Paul would have his Rachel by his side to kick their sorry butts and take off their nasty heads.

"Nothin'," she rolled off Paul's arm and away from him so he was staring at his wife's back instead of her beautiful face. Paul watched her worriedly. Had he done something to upset her? He had a knack for doing that to her.

"Seriously, babe – what's wrong?" Paul touched her back gently like he always did when she was upset and noticed her back heave back and forth almost unnoticeably. Only his wolf sense allowed him to notice she was crying. Paul immediately sat up and pull her into his lap. He kissed her forehead and whispered his question again.

"I can't go with you guys," she answered simply.

"What? Why not? You always go. You can't ditch us now. I'll be lost out there without my sidekick," Paul exclaimed.

"That's just it. I don't want to ditch you. But I can't phase right now."

"But ya did just a few weeks ago." Ever since the Volturi incident, the wolf pack had continued to expand. The Cullens had more company now – especially with everyone wanting to come see that little monster – ahem – blessing of theirs. There were so many wolves now that it was not necessary for each individual pack member to patrol all the time. Instead, they had a bi-weekly rotation and the younger pack members patrolled more often because it helped them run off some of their excessive energy and emotion. The alphas also extended the courtesy of fewer patrols to the female members to allow them more time to care for their families as in the case of Leah and Rachel. Right now, the two of them only had to patrol about once a month.

"Yeah, about a month ago," she sniffled. "And since then we've done things that, uh, can sometimes cause other things to happen. Good things – at least things that would be normal on any other day. But not today, I have obligations, and I can't fulfill them now."

"What's going on?" Paul persisted, his voice lowering to a point that said his temper was beginning to get the best of him. This frustration was becoming so strong that Rachel began to feel the shakes tremor throughout his body and into hers.

"I was beginning to give up hope that this would ever happen, but I've got a little bit of a Valentine's Day present for you – if you can call it that right now," Rachel pulled the object out from under her pillow where she stashed it and handed it to her husband. She covered her eyes in shame. "It's terrible timing, I know, cause I have things I need to do."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? You don't need to do anything but worry about this!" Paul almost dumped Rachel off the bed and onto the floor in his excitement. He picked her up, hopped off the bed, and swung her around in his arms. "This is the single greatest thing you have ever given me, Rachel Meskas! Except for maybe you," he corrected himself. He kissed Rachel soundly, who was still shocked by her husband's response to his gift. "And of course the holy terror down the hall."

"And you're sure it's right, though?" he asked somewhat apprehensively.

"I think so. I took a couple of 'em, and they all came back positive. We just need to go see Doc Fang to confirm it." She looked down for a minute before asking, "I need to be out with the pack, though, babe. What if you guys run into trouble and something goes wrong?" She gasped a sob back and continued, "What if one of you dies out there and I could have been the key to preventing it?" She shoved her face in the crook of Paul's neck and sobbed.

"Babe, babe, babe. We'll have it covered. And if something goes wrong, I'd rather you be here where you're safe and sound. Now you're number one priority is this little one right here. Our love all bundled up right here." He knelt down, nuzzled his face to her belly and kissed it tenderly.

Rachel pulled her head away from his neck to look at him. "But what if…"

Paul hushed her. "Rach, stop. I don't want you out there on a normal day so this is perfect. Now, you can't go out. And I'm excited about this beautiful, perfect baby that you and I created together."

She nodded her head in agreement and hugged Paul closer to her, wrapping her legs around his waist. The two fell back into bed and snuggled.

An hour later they got up and made breakfast together before Paul left. "Momma, Momma!" a small voice cried from upstairs just as they were finishing up. The little boy was flying down the stairs a concerned expression gracing his face. "Are you guys leaving?"

"Daddy is, Cole."

"Why aren't you going? I thought you said I'd get to Max and Josh." The little copy of his father was downcast at not being able to see his best friends.

"We'll go see 'em, but I'm gonna stay home with you."

"Why Mom? You always go with Dad," Cole looked at his father suspiciously.

"Because Mom's having a baby, bud."

"A baby?" Cole wrinkled his nose at the word. "Like Noah?"

"Something like that." Paul knelt in front of his son. "I want you to take good care of her. She's more fragile right now and needs a man to help her out. So, since I'm not gonna be her, I want you to watch out for your mom and be a good little man for her. Deal?"

"Alright. Do I get ice cream for it?" Cole waggled his eyebrows up and down anticipating his father's response.

Paul rolled his eyes, "Sure."

"I am not fragile, you two."

"Don't get worked up, Mom. The baby needs you to act like a normal person, not a wolf." Cole wagged his finger at his mother before sitting down at the table. To be lectured by a five year old…

"Well, I'm gonna head out. Do I get a wishing off party on the porch?

Cole mumbled something and then there was a distinct bye in the midst of his breakfast.

Paul shook his head. His son was so much like he was when he was a child. Except for Cole's perspective on life being entirely skewed. Giant wolves, no big deal. Uncles dating vampires, no big deal. Dad's going off to kill evil vampires, no big deal. Not seeing his best friends today, end of the world. Wow…

"Stop worrying about me." Rachel pulled Paul from his thoughts as they reached the porch. "I'm just having a baby. I've done it once before and women have been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years. And I've got the advantage of an excellent healing ability." She winked at her husband who pulled her into a tight hug. He then began kissing her neck and all over her face before finally reaching his goal of her lips. He then stood in the doorway kissing Rachel until he heard a yip come from the forest and then the front lawn. The brown wolf cocked his head at them.

"Shut up, Jared. I'm coming. Rach's staying here." The other wolf groaned and Paul responded with a sharp, "you'll get it when I shift, stupid. Don't wanna have to explain it" Rachel rolled her eyes at the boys before her husband turned to her once more, eyes desperate at having to leave his wife.

"Honey, please be careful, and let the girls take care of you. And seriously, put Cole to work."

"Alright, alright. I'm fine, you worrywart. And tell the boys that I miss 'em." She looked distinctly between both the man on the porch and the wolf in the yard. "And tell 'em not to get used to not having me around. I'll be back in a few months so no going crazy." Jared wolf chuckled and Paul just laughed. He placed one more chaste kiss on his wife's lips before walking out in the lawn. Paul looked back at his wife once more before stripping off right there and shifting.

The large silver wolf winked at her before taking off after Jared into the wolves. Rachel watched the two leave sorrowfully, but knowing without a doubt that this new development in her and Paul's life was a huge blessing – just like the one inside snorting down his cereal just like his father. Why me…

She chuckled before going back inside to clean up the natural mess following her young son.

* * *

There's Rachel's chappie. Yay for Paul and Rachel! And, like I said, this is connected to my story, _Why Me_ – kind of an after story to that. Hope you enjoy it! :D

And please review and/or check out _Why Me_. I'll be updating very soon on that one.


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